Looking forward to a normal high school sports year?

For Oregon high schools, the fall sports schedules are out, and — barring any unforeseen complications or interruptions — the Oregon School Activities Association has plans for a full school year of sports for the first time since the 2018-19 season.

Over halfway through the 2019-20 school year, the coronavirus brought sports to an end, canceling the entire spring season.

The 2020-21 school year featured shortened seasons, with much-abbreviated schedules. Fall, spring and winter sports — in that order — took place over a five-month span, with unofficial state championships and tournaments held for selected levels and sports.

The 2021-22 academic year promises to be an exciting year for local sports.

The fall season could belong to the Warrenton Warriors, defending league champions in football, volleyball and boys cross-country. And all three squads have enough athletes returning to repeat as league champs and contend for state titles.

Seaside boys soccer was senior-laden in 2020, but the Gulls reload every season, and are always a solid pick to win the Cowapa League. After not fielding a varsity team last spring, the Astoria boys soccer program will be back up and running this fall.

In girls soccer, the Lady Fishermen made the final eight “showcase” tournament last spring, losing 6-2 to Marist. Still, Astoria hopes to pick up where it left off in the regular season, in which the Fishermen won six of its last seven games.

On the gridiron, Astoria and Seaside football will both be hot on the trail of the Banks Braves. The Fishermen’s only league loss in the short season came against Banks, 49-18. Astoria will host the Braves on Oct. 1 in what should be the Cowapa’s Game of the Year.

At the 2A level, Knappa football survived a rebuilding season last March, as they answered two crushing defeats with two lopsided victories. Knappa may have lower numbers than normal, but so does every team in the Northwest League. The Loggers finished the shortened 2021 spring season with league titles in boys basketball and baseball, and will return this fall as the league favorite in football.

As promised, several local up and coming cross-country teams came through with big finishes last spring.

The Warrenton boys placed fourth in the final “state” meet, unofficially the highest finish ever for the Warriors. The Warrenton harriers will look to make it official this fall, when they return all but two runners for a team that will — literally — be in the running for a state championship.

At the 2A level, Knappa sophomore Isaiah Rodriguez finished third behind two seniors in the final meet gathering, making him the top individual returner this fall in boys’ 2A cross-country.

The Loggers and coach Amanda Isom hope to have enough runners on the boys’ side to score as a team in the big meets.

On the volleyball court, the top spot in the 3A Coastal Range League is reserved for Warrenton, which has won the regular season league title all three years of the league’s existence.

Astoria picked up points in the preseason coaches poll for 4A volleyball, while Jewell is ranked eighth at the 1A level. The Bluejays tied St. Paul for last season’s Casco League title, with both teams at 6-0 in league. Jewell opened the season with 13 straight victories.

Across the river, everything appears back to normal, as the Naselle Comets will be chasing a league title in volleyball, and Naselle is always among the state favorites at the 1B level in almost every boys’ sport. Once again, the Comets will be crushing their league competition on the football field.

Here’s to the 2021-22 school year, and — hopefully — a full, fans-in-the-stands, uninterrupted sports season.